HOME RECIPE
Baked dice arrive at the table with few surprises
1. To increase the chances of the die landing with the chosen number pointing upwards, just heat it in a gas oven for ten minutes, or in the microwave for one minute
2. The hooked face is face up. The heat melts the die without deforming it and causes the inner material to accumulate on the underside, which becomes denser. This increases the chances of it landing face down.
3. After it cools down, it’s time for the test. The biased die falls more often – but not always – pointing to the same number. Efficiency varies depending on die material and heating time
• An inconvenience of using the conventional or electric oven is that the die can change color, giving away the trick
STUCK BET
The most ingenious strategy requires state-of-the-art equipment
1. With a thin drill, drill the die. Before drilling, however, it is necessary to support it in a press to avoid accidents, in case the drill slips.
2. To bias die number 6, face 1 is pierced. The hole should go up to 1/4 of the height of the cube to avoid cracking. The hole is filled in with some material denser than the die.
3. The perforated face must be opposite the chosen number to fall more times. The goal is to make that face heavier and fall down more times. The hole is painted to disguise the intervention
the luck is cast
In US casinos, the dice are standardized, made by authorized manufacturers and tested before they land on the betting tables. The transparent material also helps prevent fraud.
marked cards
Lazier magicians and tricksters even have factory-marked decks
ON THE NAIL
Marking the cards with creases and scratches is the most instinctive. For this reason, in bookmakers the deck is changed with each play
HAVE PATIENCE
Off-center edges are barely noticeable. There are those who gather dozens of decks of cards to form a new one, all marked
GETTING INTO SIGHT
Graphic identifications can be forged or come from the factory. Trained vision and tinted lenses help identify patterns
SIGNS OF THE TIMES
Decks used frequently by the same group acquire wrinkles and marked dirt